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How To Track Your Fitness Success

You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “Knowledge is Power.” This is certainly true when you’re losing weight. If you don’t know how many calories you’re consuming or burning you just don’t know where to start or how to control the process.

When you have all the information necessary to make educated decisions you can make the best diet and lifestyle decisions for your lasting health.

For example, do you know how many calories you’ve consumed today? If you did, you’d know whether you’re on track to lose weight or if you’ve indulged just a bit too much and might gain weight. You’d know what you were dealing with and how to respond.

The Power to Plan

Calorie information gives you the power to plan. For example, if you know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate –the number of calories you burn while your body is at rest) then you can determine how many calories you need to eat each day to lose weight.

For example, if your BMR is 1800 calories and you want to lose a pound a week you know that you can eat 1300 calories a day and lose a pound a week.

You can also eat 1800 calories each day and burn 500 calories with exercise. It’s your choice and the information gives you the power to make the right decisions for your goals.

There are many tools and resources available to help you learn and track your health information.

Tools and Resources

There are many ways you can track your daily calorie intake and expenditure. The key is to make it as easy to follow through on as possible. If it is a complicated process and difficult to use than you may not follow through and knowledge really is power. Here are just a few of the tools you can use to track your information:

Fitness Journal – If you like paper then consider buying a journal or a specialized fitness journal.

Online software or community – There are many online fitness communities and membership programs. You can sign up and track your information.

Mobile application – Do you have an iPod or smart phone? If so, there are dozens of fitness tracking tools you can use. Many of them are free.

Devices – Like the Fitbit or Up Move Tracker. They track steps. You can also find devices that help you track calories consumed and calories burned.

Action Step

Make a list of goals you might want to achieve. Don’t carve them in stone just yet. In the next few blog posts I will discuss healthy and unhealthy habits. You’ll begin to assess your current habits and prioritize the ones you want to change. Then you can come back and revisit your goals.